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Thread: Where should I expect the focus?
Number of posts in this thread: 7 (In chronological order)
From: Vemaarapu Venkatesh
Date: Thu, Mar 29 2018 10:30AM
Subject: Where should I expect the focus?
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Hello all,
I have a communication app with list of groups as links vertically and on
activating each group we can see group opening in the right side part of
the page. Above the groups list in the navigation region we do have couple
of tabs like conversations and notifications placed horizontally where
again content is updated in the right side part of the screen i.e. main
region on activating tab items.
Now on activating any group or tab item where should I expect the focus
ideally?
Looking for the valuable suggestions on this scenario.
Thanks,
Venkatesh
From: glen walker
Date: Thu, Mar 29 2018 11:40AM
Subject: Re: Where should I expect the focus?
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In general, the focus shouldn't move. If you select a link in a navigation
pane and it updates the contents of a container on the same page (kind of
like a tab object), the focus should remain on the link that caused the
update. You could have an aria-live region that announces what was
updated, but if you move the focus and I decide that wasn't the right link,
then I have to find my way back to the navigation area, which is a hassle.
On Thu, Mar 29, 2018 at 10:30 AM, Vemaarapu Venkatesh <
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I have a communication app with list of groups as links vertically and on
> activating each group we can see group opening in the right side part of
> the page. Above the groups list in the navigation region we do have couple
> of tabs like conversations and notifications placed horizontally where
> again content is updated in the right side part of the screen i.e. main
> region on activating tab items.
> Now on activating any group or tab item where should I expect the focus
> ideally?
> Looking for the valuable suggestions on this scenario.
>
> Thanks,
> Venkatesh
> > > > >
From: Don Mauck
Date: Thu, Mar 29 2018 11:46AM
Subject: Re: Where should I expect the focus?
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There are several possibilities; You might want to consider putting the focus on the most important heading or, the focus might need to land on the first editable component or, the focus might need to land on the first important action control. It really depends upon what the next action or event that the user is expected to perform.
From: Sarah Jevnikar
Date: Thu, Mar 29 2018 11:55AM
Subject: Re: Where should I expect the focus?
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Hi Venkatesh,
As long as it's clear to a user that the tab has expanded, and it's possible to get to the contents of that expanded tab using the keyboard (probably the arrow keys), I think the focus could remain on the name of the tab itself. Consider this example, where the focus does not change but the tab says "expanded" or "collapsed" when activated. I use a screen reader, so I'm not sure what this looks like visually, but I know it's an accessible (to me at least) option.
https://www.cihi.ca/en/about-cihi/general-help-and-faq
I hope this is helpful to you.
Sarah
Sarah Jevnikar
Accessibility Consultant
Digital Echidna
p: 519-858-4438 ex. 211
e: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
From: Vemaarapu Venkatesh
Date: Thu, Mar 29 2018 12:28PM
Subject: Re: Where should I expect the focus?
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Glen,
User activates any group with the primary intent of navigating the group
content and that will be judged as a wrong one after consuming it's
content. So if focus stays back on the same link somehow user need to reach
updated region either by tabbing all the way or any other approach. Is it
possible to judge the activated link is the wrong one without reading it's
content by just hearing to group name? If that is the case they might have
activated it unintentionally which is the rare case. Considering this rare
case is it right to make the focus sit back on the same link every time
ignoring the users actual intention? In addition to this as soon as
activating some X group screen reader announces "navigated to X" but focus
doesn't move to X. Will this conflict doesn't disorient users if focus sits
back.
If we consider keyboard alone user without screen reader this impacts more
because they need to tab all the way at least 10 times every time after
activating any item from navigation region in order to reach main region.
I feel focus should land on the first item of the updated group content
since user always intends to navigate it immediately on activation.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Venkatesh
From: Bourne, Sarah (MASSIT)
Date: Thu, Mar 29 2018 1:10PM
Subject: Re: Where should I expect the focus?
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Venkatesh,
I recommend extreme caution in having an action do something different than usual. While you see it as something that would be helpful, users, especially on their first visit, may find it very disorienting. Most people don't want to be surprised or feel tricked.
This is the part of "accessibility" that falls more in the camp of usability rather than technical specifications, so the only way to find if it will annoy or confuse your users to do usability testing.
sb
Sarah E. Bourne
Director of IT Accessibility
Executive Office of Technology Services and Security (EOTSS)
1 Ashburton Place, 8th Floor, Boston, MA 02108
Office: (617) 626-4502
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = | www.mass.gov/eotss
From: Mallory
Date: Sun, Apr 01 2018 1:16AM
Subject: Re: Where should I expect the focus?
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I think this kind of setup is very difficult when you're very zoomed in. Screen magnification doesn't read out aria label, but it does shift the view with the focus.
I'm almost wondering if, for this application, it makes sense to
- initially leave focus where it was (because these are not acting links links but like buttons)
- offer an (explained clearly when user first starts learning application) keyboard shortcut OR onscreen control that will move the focus to the new content on the right pane.
This will help all users who
- have trouble finding the new content visually
- have to do a lot of work to move keyboard focus. This gives them a skip.
cheers,
On Thu, Mar 29, 2018, at 7:55 PM, Sarah Jevnikar wrote:
> Hi Venkatesh,
> As long as it's clear to a user that the tab has expanded, and it's
> possible to get to the contents of that expanded tab using the keyboard
> (probably the arrow keys), I think the focus could remain on the name of
> the tab itself. Consider this example, where the focus does not change
> but the tab says "expanded" or "collapsed" when activated. I use a
> screen reader, so I'm not sure what this looks like visually, but I know
> it's an accessible (to me at least) option.
> https://www.cihi.ca/en/about-cihi/general-help-and-faq
>
> I hope this is helpful to you.
> Sarah
>
> Sarah Jevnikar
>
> Accessibility Consultant
>
> Digital Echidna
>
> p: 519-858-4438 ex. 211
> e: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
>
>